The effectiveness of family planning programs in less developed countries: the evidence from survey data
Kirk, D.
Food Research Institute Studies in Agricultural Economics Trade and Development 10(1): 3-19
1971
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-6566 PMID: 12305820 Document Number: 353079
25 countries in the less developed world now have functioning family planning programs designed to promote the practice of birth control. Their effectiveness is difficult to assess. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) studies are one means of program evaluation. A great deal of information is available from these studies. All populations show more awareness, approval, and practice of birth control. The programs have been able to get large numbers of people to use their promoted methods and are reaching large numbers of women in high fertility groups. Surveys indicate that ideas of ideal family size and composition are resistant to change thus making birth control acceptance more difficult to achieve. Methodological weaknesses in KAP studies are lack of information on intensity of motivations and attitudes about birth control, inconsistency in responses, and failure of respondent to understand questions. They are still not a completely reliable measure of the direct effects of family planning programs and tend to exaggerate the program's demographic impact. Survey and evaluation efforts have underplayed the role of abortion. Family planning programs will continue to play an important role in reducing births, but socio-economic factors will have more effect.